A painful childhood memory is my first recollection of stinging nettles. My mother helped transform that bad experience into a curiosity for this versatile spring vegetable. While many enjoy brewing it for tea I think it comes out the best when picked and used fresh. With a few simple steps, the innocent-looking but stinging plant turns into a delicious soup. A perfect lunch or why not a dinner appetizer? The nettle has a flavor that equals nothing else. A friend compared it to a mix between cucumber and spinach but I’m not sure that’s close enough to give it justice.

When I go hunting for turkey or forage for spring morels I always keep an eye out for these under-appreciated tasty greens. Using gloves and a pair of scissors is recommended to avoid getting stung. The top leaves of fresh nettles is what you want to target. The nettles grow in patches so when you find one, you find many. In only a few minutes you can have collected enough for a family meal.

In Sweden, you can find a huge variety of recipes for stinging nettles. Often one will tweak it and personalize it. My two brothers both have their unique touch to this soup. What I present here is how I remember our mother, Märta’s, original recipe. It’s plain in its making and perfectly suited to explore the full dimension of the nettle flavors.

Ingredients - adjust to taste

• 250g nettles

• 1 quart/liter water

• 2-3 knorr vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes (or equal amount in tsp of bouillon powder)

• 1-2 tbsp butter/margarine

• 2-4 tbsp flour

• Hard boiled eggs for garnish or side

Serving

• optional: Half a hard boiled egg in each plate

• Many, many nettle soup recipes call for sour creme or milk to taste. My kids prefer their bowl of soup with a tablespoon or two of whole milk. It makes the flavor a bit smoother and cools down the hot soup.